This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 project "Enhancing monitoring approaches to evaluate the abundance, life history and critical habitats of the endangered Australian sea lion". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- The Australian sea lion (Neophoca cinerea) is Australia’s only endemic pinniped and is listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act. Populations have declined by more than 60% over the past 40 years and are vulnerable to threats including fisheries bycatch, disease, pollution, marine debris entanglement and climate change. Improving knowledge of abundance, demography and critical habitat use is essential for evaluating threats and guiding recovery actions, but is difficult due to the species’ breeding biology, longevity, seafloor foraging behaviour and use of remote breeding sites. This project developed and applied cost-effective methods to improve monitoring of Australian sea lion populations, particularly in under-surveyed regions exposed to anthropogenic pressures. It included four linked components: (1) helicopter and remote-camera surveys of breeding sites in the Recherche Archipelago; (2) drone surveys of selected breeding and haul-out sites in Western Australia and South Australia; (3) processing and analysis of long-term demographic data from the microchipped Seal Bay population; and (4) continued deployment of underwater cameras to identify habitat use, foraging behaviour and potential risks. The project was co-designed with Indigenous partners, including Yalata Anangu Aboriginal Corporation, Far West Coast Aboriginal Corporation and Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation. Indigenous partners contributed to delivery of project components, including drone-based monitoring and field activities, supporting Indigenous leadership in the use of new technologies for sea lion monitoring and Healthy Country management. Outputs included updated abundance and breeding-site information, validated drone survey methods, improved workflows for demographic analysis, and additional animal-borne camera data on critical habitats. These data and methods support implementation of the Australian Sea Lion Recovery Plan, long-term state government monitoring, assessment of cumulative impacts and recovery actions, and conservation planning linked to Sea Country values. Outputs • Qualitative and qualitative spatial assessments of breeding sites from helicopter surveys in Recherche Archipelago [dataset] • Drone-collected photogrammetry, FLIR, thermal imaging and LiDAR data [dataset] • Demographic results from analysis of Seal Bay microchipping program [dataset] • Tracking data from sea lion-deployed tags: location, depth, time, temperature, light, acceleration [dataset] • Timestamped video footage from sea lion-deployed cameras [dataset] • Short non-technical summaries to distil the key findings and take-home messages [written] • Final project report [written]

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 Emerging Priorities project "Modelling adult abundance and habitat distribution of Maugean skate". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- The Maugean skate (Zearaja maugeana) is listed as Endangered under Tasmania’s Threatened Species Protection Act 1995 and the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The species has one of the most restricted distributions of any extant elasmobranch, having only been recorded in Macquarie Harbour and Bathurst Harbour in western Tasmania. The Macquarie Harbour population is small (~3,000 individuals) and exposed to ongoing environmental pressures, making robust population assessment and habitat monitoring a high conservation priority. This project investigated Close Kin Mark Recapture (CKMR) as a priority method for estimating historical abundance and supporting long-term monitoring of Maugean skate in Macquarie Harbour, as identified in the species’ Roadmap of Agreed Actions and 2023 Conservation Advice. CKMR uses next-generation sequencing to identify close relatives among sampled individuals and model breeding population size, adult survival and population trends. A second project component modelled the distribution of critical Maugean skate habitat in relation to dissolved oxygen, temperature and depth. Telemetry data from tagged skates were combined with biophysical harbour models and habitat selection modelling to generate potential habitat maps for a 2017-18 hindcast period and forecast scenarios based on recent and evolving water-quality conditions. These maps were assessed against existing knowledge of skate habitat to identify critical areas within Macquarie Harbour and inform future spatial and temporal sampling strategies. Project outputs include independent population-assessment methods and hindcast/forecast habitat suitability maps for Macquarie Harbour. These outputs support conservation decision-making, evaluation of remediation scenarios, identification of critical habitat areas, and future monitoring and sampling design. Outputs • High-quality DNA sequences of Maugean skate [sequencing data] • Hindcast maps (2017-18) of potential Maugean skate occupation [spatial data] • Recent and forecast (evolving) maps of potential Maugean skate occupation under different management scenarios [spatial data] • Estimates of spawning stock abundance of the Maugean skate from CKMR analysis [data contained in written report] • Final project report [written]

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub Research Plan 2024 project "Grey Nurse Shark aggregations". For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. -------------------- Grey nurse sharks (Carcharias taurus) are protected in Australian Commonwealth waters. Under the EPBC Act, the eastern Australian population is listed as Critically Endangered, while the western Australian population is listed as Vulnerable. The species aggregates at particular sites along migration routes, but existing definitions and criteria for “key aggregation sites” require refinement to support consistent assessment across eastern and western Australia. This project collated existing information on recognised grey nurse shark aggregation sites and potential new sites where sharks have been observed to gather. It reviewed occupancy patterns, existing survey evidence and western population data to refine the definition of a key aggregation site and develop criteria for assessing whether sites should be listed, delisted or prioritised for further investigation. Field and data activities focused on areas where information was limited or where potential new aggregation sites had been identified. These included surveys in Victorian waters near Corner Inlet using ROV and eDNA methods in partnership with Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation; community engagement with dive, fishing and freediving groups to improve reporting of observations; an initial BRUV survey of a reef system in Commonwealth waters in Hunter Marine Park; expanded acoustic receiver coverage at Barwon Banks in Queensland; and review of potential aggregation sites in Western Australia. The project outputs provided Commonwealth and state management agencies with a clearer, more defensible basis for identifying and assessing grey nurse shark aggregation sites. The resulting information supported consistent evaluation of existing and potential sites, prioritisation of future surveys, and improved conservation planning for both eastern and western grey nurse shark populations. Outputs • Spatial information on key Grey Nurse Shark aggregation sites [dataset] • Final project report [written]